Have you ever had something funny happen to you or something serious happen to you and you’ve shared with your friends? I am guessing you simply told the story. You probably didn’t need notes to tell it or have your heart racing with fear. Why is it we are all able to tell a story of something we’ve experienced during the course of our day, but we break out in a cold sweat when someone asks us to give our testimony before a group of people?
According to dictionary.com, a testimony is “the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation.” Simply put, a testimony is your story. It is your statement or declaration of what happened to you when you had an encounter with the living God. You’ve lived it; therefore, you have the right to tell it. No one can claim its wrong, because it is your story.
John 1:8 talks about how John the Baptist came only as a witness to the light (meaning Jesus). In Acts 1:8, Jesus calls us all His witnesses. He wants us to tell our story. Anyone can tell a story. Most people love hearing stories. While some people may turn and run the other way if they see you coming with a Bible in hand, typically, people are not threatened by a story.
Our part in sharing the greatest story ever told is to share how it impacted us. So, go out there and tell someone your story.
Sometimes, just living your life for Christ can have an impact of Epic proportions. If someone in your perimeter looks at you and your life and says, “whatever Susan has going, that’s what I want”, that is testimony in itself. I have found that to be the most impact filled way to have someone hear my testimony. When they look at my life and want my peace or don’t understand why the world around me is exploding and I am in peaceful surrender to our Lord. I have had amazing testimonial talks to friends and family and even those who just skate around my life. If you are living the Word, you are giving your testimony every day you are breathing.